They hope the tactic will prevent unruly fans from climbing the light poles following Sunday’s NFC Championship Game.

This should have been nipped in the bud a year and a half ago, Schnatter added of the protests. Like many sponsors, we are in contact with the NFL and, once the issue is resolved between the players and the owners, we are optimistic that the NFL’s best years are ahead. But good or bad, leadership starts at the top, and this is an example of poor leadership.

Minnesota had the No. 1 defense in total yards allowed, total yards per game and points allowed per game.

Philadelphia’s defense was fourth in total yards allowed and points allowed per game. Quarterbacks Nick Foles and Case Keenum have a formidable challenge on their hands in finding ways to score against those units.

What is a tougher challenge though is sifting through all the stats and facts leading into Sunday’s game, but our friends over at Opta are the best in the business. They compiled a ton of stats to get you prepared for this weekend’s games.

Philadelphia’s victory last week was the first home postseason win with more than two giveaways since Jan. 11, 1981. They had lost their last five postseason home games in which they turned the ball over multiple times.

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The divisional round of the NFL playoffs was a real bracket-busting weekend, and AccuScore’s picks felt that pain. However, the team that our simulations predicted before the season to win the Super Bowl, the New England Patriots, is the lone survivor from last week’s predictions.

Our other predicted Super Bowl team, the New Orleans Saints, was bounced by the Minnesota Vikings’ miraculous last-second play that may go down as the greatest divisional playoff finish ever. It’s the first walk-off touchdown in the history of the NFL playoffs, after all.

That said, the Patriots are predicted to beat either the Vikings or the Eagles in Super Bowl 52. There is no big difference between Philadelphia or Minnesota as New England’s opponent; both have around a 40-percent chance to win against New England, meaning Brady and the Pats would walk into the Super Bowl as clear favorites.

One of the most interesting results in simulations is that if Jacksonville pulls the upset in Foxborough on Sunday and makes its first Super Bowl trip, the Jaguars are also predicted to be favorites against either NFC team. However, the possible matchup between the Jaguars and the Vikings is very close with Jacksonville having a 51-percent chance to win.

In an appearance on Denver’s 104.3 The Fan, McCloughan wasn’t holding back as he offered an evaluation of his former quarterback both the good and the bad.

He’s a good player, McCloughan said (via The Washington Post). Is he special? I don’t see special. But also, we were still building a roster around him to make him special.

McCloughan, the GM of the Redskins from 2015-16, did soften the blow, adding, I might not have been around [Cousins] long enough in terms of years from the standpoint I was around Brett Favre, Russell Wilson, Matt Hasselbeck, Alex Smith.

The Redskins’ finished this season 7-9 and didn’t make the playoffs, and McCloughan pointed to Cousins’ win-loss record in the NFL. He is 26-30-1 overall in games he’s started since his 2012 rookie season, and he’s 24-23-1 since taking over as the full-time starter in 2015.

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The dog masks are going to Minneapolis with the Eagles as they find themselves the biggest Super Bowl underdogs since 2009.

Various sportsbooks have Philadelphia as a 5.5-, 6- and even a 6.5-point underdog against the Patriots in Super Bowl 52 in two weeks. That makes the Eagles the biggest underdogs since the Cardinals were 7-point underdogs to the Steelers in Super Bowl XLIII in 2009.

Most military bases have loudspeakers to play To The Color when the flag is raised in the morning and Retreat when it is lowered in the evening. Regardless of whether a service member can see the flag being raised or lowered, they will stop and face in the direction of the music to salute. All outdoor activity on a military base stops when this bugle call sounds. Service members talking or exercising will stop. It they are driving a vehicle, they will pull over.

Wilks had a second interview with the Cardinals on Friday. Patriots linebackers coach Brian Flores and Eagles quarterbacks coach John DeFilippo were the other finalists for the job.

Wilks, 48, just wrapped up his first season as a defensive coordinator, but has spent 11 seasons in the NFL as an assistant coach. He was previously with the Bears and Chargers before coming to the Panthers.

Before his time in the NFL, Wilks was an assistant coach for 11 years at the collegiate level, including stints at Notre Dame and Washington.

This is the second consecutive year Panthers coach Ron Rivera has seen his defensive coordinator leave for a head coaching job. Sean McDermott led the Bills to a 9-7 record and playoff berth in his first season in Buffalo.